


The Princess Project

by justlikethehamptons



Category: Princess Protection Program (2009)
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Misses Clause Challenge, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-10
Updated: 2015-12-10
Packaged: 2018-05-06 00:32:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5395934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justlikethehamptons/pseuds/justlikethehamptons
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They're older now, but Carter and Rosie still make a pretty good team.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Princess Project

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lc2l](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lc2l/gifts).



__

**Her Majesty Queen Rosalinda Maria Montoya Fiore requests the honor of your presence at a gala benefit to support The Princess Project.**

**The benefit will be held at the Royal Palace on June 20th, 8:00 pm.**

**Attire will be black tie.**

**~~~**

Under the official-looking invitation was a folded piece of stationery with the royal crest at the top. Carter smiled at the familiar handwriting before she read the note.

_Carter, have I got a project for you. I’ll tell you all about it when you get here. Your travel schedule is enclosed. Love, Rosie_

_PS: Don’t worry about a gown. Mr. Elegante is already working on something for you._

“Carter!”

She looked up from Rosie’s note to find one of the volunteers waving at her from across the work site. They had the blueprints out again, she noticed with a sigh. Well, the school was going to get built one way or the other, and thanks to Rosie’s invitation, she had a deadline now. She smiled to herself and waved back at the volunteer, then she tucked the invitation back in the envelope and headed across the site to find out what the latest problem was.

***

From the air, Costa Luna looked a lot like Louisiana. Tall, stately palms lined the coast, roots digging into the shore and pulling the sand away from the water. Lush green jungle stretched across the center of the island, and off in the distance Carter could just make out the high white walls of the palace. A vague feeling of homesickness tugged at the center of her chest, but Carter ignored it the way she always did. She missed her dad and she missed the bait shop and she even missed Ed a little, but she had a good reason for being away, and knowing that made up for all the things she was missing.

It helped that her dad was proud of her. When she’d first come up with the idea for the Princess Project she wasn't sure how he'd react, especially when he figured out that it meant taking a break from college. But it had mostly been Rosie’s idea, which meant it was technically his fault for dragging Rosie into Carter’s life in the first place. He still grumbled about her putting off college to run a non-profit with no experience, but Rosie’s advisors had helped a lot, and with the seed money from the Costa Luna treasury, it wasn’t long before the Princess Project had grown from an idea to an actual program.

Their latest project involved rebuilding a school that had been wiped out by one of the hurricanes that hit the Caribbean the year before. They’d just handed over the keys to the schoolmaster when Rosie’s helicopter came for her, and Cater barely had time to say goodbye and hug her volunteers before she was whisked off to attend the gala.

The helicopter landed on the palace roof, and Carter swung her weather-beaten satchel over her shoulder and climbed out to find a member of Rosie’s security team waiting for her. 

“Her Highness apologizes for not being here to greet you personally,” he said when they’d gotten far enough from the helicopter to be heard. “She is currently in meetings with the Cabinet, but she will join you as soon as she is able.”

Carter smiled her thanks and followed him into the palace, down long corridors and staircases to the room where she always stayed when she was in Costa Luna. Not that she got to visit often, but it was still kind of exciting, having her own room in a palace. It was a far cry from her usual accommodations, that was for sure. Most of the time Carter bunked wherever she could: on the couches of local volunteers, in tiny apartments along with three or four other members of her team, more tents than she cared to remember and once there was a genuine hut.

It meant growing up as Bait Girl came in handy, anyway, because she wasn’t afraid to get dirty, and it wasn’t the end of the world if she went a few days without a real shower. But Bait Girl never would have expected to find herself in a room like this, with priceless art on the walls and fresh flowers on the table and a huge, inviting bed made up with the most expensive linens Carter had ever touched.

The bed was tempting, but Carter knew she didn’t have time for a nap, not if she wanted a shower before Rosie’s hairdresser and Mr. Elegante descended on her. Instead she crossed the room to the spacious bathroom, pulling the door open to reveal white marble floors and a shower that was bigger than some of the places Carter had stayed in since she started The Princess Project. 

In a way Rosie’s palace was even further away from Lake Monroe and the bait shop than Carter’s projects in Africa and Bosnia, but it only felt that way until Carter saw Rosie again. When they were together it always felt like home, even when Carter was far away from the life she’d known until she graduated from high school and went out into the world to help people. 

Carter took a longer shower than she normally would have, considering what she knew about water shortages in other parts of the world. Something else she never thought about back in Louisiana, and she smiled to herself as she dried off and slipped into the fluffy robe that was waiting for her on a hook near the bathroom door. She ran a brush through her wet hair and spent a few seconds studying her reflection in the mirror, but the sound of voices on the other side of the door distracted her and she opened it to find a team of hairdressers and makeup artists led by Mr. Elegante himself.

“Carter, _querida_ ,” he said, arms open as he came toward her. Carter let him kiss her on each cheek, then stood in embarrassed silence while he held her at arm’s length to appraise her appearance. “Hmm. A bit more thin than last we met. Well, I think we can make the gown work anyway.”

Before Carter could argue she was being ushered into a chair, brushes and clothes coming at her from every direction. Once her hair and makeup passed Mr. Elegante’s inspection she was pulled back out of the chair and ushered behind a screen, where two of Mr. Elegante’s assistants helped her step into a shimmering gold gown. It was weird, being fussed over like some celebrity, but Carter knew better than to argue. 

Besides, it really was a beautiful gown. Floor-length and skimming her hips, with a lace bodice that came up in a halter style, leaving her arms bare. The gold fabric made her skin glow -- or maybe that was the bronzer they’d brushed all over her -- and her hair cascaded down around her shoulders in big, dramatic curls. 

Normally Carter’s hair was piled up in a loose ponytail, or sometimes tucked under a cap while she sweated through whatever project they happened to be working on. Her wardrobe consisted mostly of jeans and shorts and old t-shirts, and she definitely didn’t get a chance to dress up like this in her everyday life. So it was kind of nice, even if it did feel a little like she was playing dress-up instead of getting ready to meet the people whose donations kept The Princess Project afloat.

“Well?” she said, stepping out from behind the screen and performing a little turn for Mr. Elegante’s benefit. “How do I look?”

“Positively regal,” a familiar voice said, and Carter looked up to find Rosie standing in the center of the room. Her hair was pulled back, crown firmly in place, and her pink gown brought out the color in her cheeks. 

Carter grinned, then she performed a little curtsy. “Your majesty.”

Rosie bowed in return, then she laughed and rushed forward to meet Carter in a warm hug. 

“It has been too long,” she said when they pulled back to smile at one another. “But all in the name of a wonderful cause.”

“Speaking of which, what’s this new project you’ve got for me?” Carter asked as Rosie slid her arm through Carter’s and led her out the door and down the hall.

“Well, now that Costa Estrella is free from General Kane’s tyranny, they are finally beginning to rebuild their government. The newly elected Parliament has pledged to reopen the schools and public buildings, but many of them have fallen into disrepair. They’ll need help getting started, and naturally I thought of you.”

“Sounds like a big project,” Carter said. 

“Nothing you can’t handle.” 

Rosie squeezed Carter’s arm and flashed a smile that said she knew something Carter didn’t. Carter opened her mouth to ask what Rosie was planning to drag her into, exactly, but before she got the words out someone stepped out of a doorway near the end of the hall. As soon as she saw him Carter stopped, blinking to make sure she wasn’t hallucinating before she looked over at Rosie.

“What...?”

“I took the liberty of arranging your escort for the evening.”

For a second Carter wasn’t sure whether to shake her or kiss her, but finally she settled for another tight hug. “Thank you,” she whispered, then she let go of Rosie and hurried down the hallway to hug her father.

“Hey, pal.”

“I can’t believe you’re here,” Carter said. She blinked back tears and squeezed her father tight, then let go to smile up at him. “What are you doing here?”

“When the queen of an island nation calls and personally invites you to escort the guest of honor to a benefit gala, you show up,” he said. grinning back at her. “And I missed you.”

“I miss you too, Dad, so much,” Carter said, hugging him again. “I wanted to visit, it’s just that there’s so much going on, and it’s hard to get away, even for a few days.”

“I know,” her dad answered, pulling back to rest a palm on her cheek. “I’m proud of you, Carter. You’re doing amazing things.”

“I have a lot of help. If it wasn’t for the volunteers we never would have gotten off the ground.”

“Still pretty amazing in my book.” He leaned over to press a kiss to her forehead, then he straightened up and offered her his arm. “Shall we?”

Carter smiled and slid her arm through his. They walked together down the hall, past the palace guard and through the wide double doors that led to the royal ballroom. Guests were already gathering, women in gowns of every color on the arms of men in tuxedos. Some of the women wore tiaras, and a few of the men had sashes that Carter was pretty sure meant they were some kind of royalty.

At the front of the room a podium had been set up on a dais, draped in red and gold and backed by a set of red curtains through which the queen would make her entrance. Even after all these years it was still hard to think of Rosie as a queen, but when she walked through the curtain to stand on the dais, she looked every bit the part. 

“Presenting Her Majesty, Queen Rosalinda Maria Montoya Fiore,” the Chancellor announced, and Rosie glided up to the podium, head held high and looking more royal than Carter had ever seen her.

“Welcome,” Rosie said, smiling down at the crowd. “I want to thank you all for joining me in supporting such a noble cause. Please join me in welcoming the founder of The Princess Project, my dear friend Carter Mason.”

Rosie sought out Carter in the crowd, and when their eyes met she held out an arm and gestured for Carter to join her on the dais. Carter had been expecting to have to work the crowd, greeting potential donors and talking about the work she’d done with The Princess Project so far. What she hadn’t expected was to stand in front of the entire room at once and address the whole crowd. She didn’t have a speech prepared, and for a second she considered turning around and bolting out of the room. 

Only her father’s grip on her arm stopped her, and when he tugged her toward the stage she had no choice but to follow. The next thing she knew she was climbing onto the dais and being kissed on both cheeks by Rosie before she stepped back and gave Carter the stage. Every eye in the room was on her, and Carter flashed a nervous smile at the crowd before she found her father and focused on him.

“Hi,” Carter said, flushing when soft laughter rippled through the crowd. “I wasn’t really expecting to give a speech tonight.”

She glanced over her shoulder at Rosie, but all she got was a smile and an encouraging nod. Killing the queen in front of a roomful of palace guards was probably a bad idea, so Carter gritted her teeth and turned back to the audience.

“When all this started I didn’t really know what I was doing, and I had no idea if I’d make it through the first project, let alone the first year. But a good friend of mine once told me that a princess’s job is to help people, and even though I’m not an actual princess, I took her words to heart.”

Carter paused and looked over her shoulder again, and when she caught Rosie’s eye this time, she smiled. “The goal of The Princess Project is to help, and with your support, we can keep helping. On behalf of the volunteers and all the members of The Princess Project, thank you for coming tonight, and thank you for helping us to keep helping those in need.”

She took a step back at the same moment that Rosie stepped forward, and when they smiled at each other, it was just Carter and Rosie. No one else probably noticed, and less than a heartbeat later she was Queen Rosalinda again, coming forward to encourage her guests to be generous in their donations. 

Carter spent the rest of the evening smiling at Rosie’s guests and answering questions about the charity and the projects they’d completed so far. She’d never thought of herself as all that good at talking to strangers, but she found it wasn’t so bad when she was talking about something she loved. It helped having her dad there, knowing he was proud of her and everything she’d accomplished.

“You know, your mom would be proud of you,” he said, arm around Carter as they watched the ballroom begin to empty out. “She’d probably be out there right next to you, putting up walls and digging wells.”

If Carter’s smile was a little wistful, it was just because she was tired. She never stopped missing her mother, but she’d grown up enough to know it was no one’s fault that she was gone. Still, she liked the idea of her mom working alongside her, even if it could never happen.

“Rosie’s got a new project for us. We’re going to be in Costa Estrella for a while, helping rebuild there.”

“Oh, yeah?” her dad said, smiling down at her. “Maybe I’ll take some time off and come help.”

“Really? You think you could get away?”

“I think the princesses of the world can survive without me for a little while.”

Carter laughed and hugged him again. “That would be amazing, Dad.”

“Just like old times,” her dad said. “We always did make a great team.”

***

Carter straightened up and ran the back of her hand across her forehead, brushing a few sweaty strands of hair out of her eyes. They’d been in Costa Estella for a week now, working to rebuild one of the schools that General Kane had let fall into disrepair. It was the first of a long list of projects, a list that would keep The Princess Project busy for months. Longer, if they came up with more funding, because the entire infrastructure of the island had suffered under General Kane’s rule.

The sound of car tires on gravel make her turn, and Carter shielded her eyes against the bright Caribbean sun to watch three Jeeps roll up the gravel road to stop next to the work site. Security officers climbed out of the first two Jeeps, dressed in uniforms Carter had seen enough times to recognize even from a distance.

A moment later an officer climbed out of the third Jeep, then he turned to help another passenger out of the vehicle. Carter’s mouth dropped open as Rosie descended from the Jeep, dressed in an olive jumpsuit and wearing huge sunglasses and a scarf covering her long hair. Even in more or less normal clothes she managed to look regal, and Carter’s surprise quickly faded to joy at seeing her friend again.

“What are you doing here?” she said, skipping the curtsy this time and pulling Rosie into a tight hug.

“I have come to see your progress,” Rosie answered. “As Queen it is my duty to stay informed of any progress in my kingdom. And since Costa Estrella’s new government is still forming, it is my duty as their neighbor to make sure everything is in order.”

Rosie paused and looked around at the beginnings of the new school building. It had come a long way already; the raw materials had been waiting for them when they arrived, thanks to Rosie, and the team worked so well together that the framing was already up. Carter was proud of her team and she knew their work was solid, but she was still a little nervous now that Rosie was standing in the middle of their worksite.

When Rosie smiled Carter relaxed a little, and when Rosie turned back to her Carter felt a little silly for worrying. “So?”

“It looks wonderful,” Rosie answered. “Not that I expected anything less. Your work is always exemplary.”

“I have a great team,” Carter said. “And lots of volunteers wanted to come on this trip. It helps that it’s the middle of winter back home.”

Rosie winced at the thought and shook her head. “Major Mason sometimes sends princesses into hiding in frozen tundras. Did you know that?”

“No,” Carter answered, “but I’ll ask him about it when he gets here.”

“It is a terrible fate,” Rosie said, shuddering as though Carter’s dad had sent her to Antarctica instead of bringing her home to Louisiana. Carter was tempted to laugh, but she swallowed the impulse and slid an arm around Rosie’s shoulders.

“Well, you don’t have to worry about that anymore. Come on, I’ll introduce you to the team. They all want to meet the woman who started it all.”

“But you started it,” Rosie said, frowning over at Carter.

“Sure, but if I hadn’t met you I never would have come up with the idea.”

“So we both started it,” Rosie said, as though she was just realizing it.

Carter nodded and squeezed Rosie’s shoulder. “Yep. We make a pretty good team.”


End file.
